The ability of a player of a string instrument to perform with an instrument having a neck such as a guitar can be negatively affected by a mismatch between the grasp and size of the hand of the player and the thickness and/or shape of the neck. The mismatched neck thickness problem exists where there is a gap between the neck of the instrument and the thenar and palmer areas of the hand. Where there is such a mismatch the neck grip is likely to be uncomfortable and over time cause finger and hand pain especially to a novice or older player. It can also cause the position of the instrument to become unstable and shift during playing. Such pain in the hand and instrument shifting makes it very difficult for the player to make accurate chord and note finger placements consistently.
To increase neck grip comfort and stability a player may make the mistake of increasing the stress on the forearm, wrist and fingers by turning the wrist from a straight position, in line with the forearm, to an upward bent position and the player may press harder with the fingers thereby eliminating the gap between the instrument and the hand. The player may also tighten the grip on the neck by positioning the thumb around the top of the neck and pushing down vertically in an attempt to make the grip more comfortable and to stabilize the position of the neck. Unfortunately, such repetitive stress actions cause pain to develop in the hand, fingers and joints. This can even cause nerve damage resulting in loss of sensation in the fingers.
A player may also make mistakes of making inappropriate body adjustments such as bending the wrist and/or tightening the grip to be more comfortable by moving the thumb to a vertical or a horizontal position and pushing excessively with the thumb on the back of the neck of the instrument. Both of these techniques are unsatisfactory because tightening the grip, bending the wrist or pushing with the fingers or thumb puts strain on the tendons of the wrist and may eventually cause tendinitis or repetitive strain injury in the muscles and joints of the hands, forearms, and wrists. All of these things contribute to stress on the hand of a player holding the neck of an instrument causing the player to tire quickly, resulting in decreased playing and/or practice time.
The pushing force of the vertical or a horizontal thumb positions also have the disadvantage of causing stress and discomfort of the shoulder and the back of the neck of the player. In such a case, I have found that it would be desirable to increase the effective thickness and shape of the instrument neck. That would eliminate any space between the palm of the hand and the neck of the instrument and still allow the wrist to remain straight, thereby allowing the player to relax the shoulder and neck stress while allowing the palm of the hand to move freely up and down the neck of the string musical instrument. Also, it would allow a firm, comfortable grip with the neck of the instrument entirely supported by the palm of the hand and it allow the fingers to move freely. This would allow the player to control the instrument and to play chords and notes more consistently, while helping the wrist to remain straight. Using the palm of the hand to help support the string musical instrument while still allowing it to move freely to the proximal and distal ends of the neck would also help to eliminate the need to bend the wrist and push with the fingers and thumb to grip the string musical instrument. This would also help to relax the shoulder and neck tension of the player. Moreover, that would help to put less strain on the tendons of the fingers and wrist protecting them and not tiring the hand of the player as quickly.
At quite a substantial cost stringed instrument necks can be made available in a variety of thicknesses, shapes and widths to accommodate the grip comfort and hand size of the player. This can be the most important factor in just how comfortable the neck feels to the player. Electric guitar neck thicknesses range from approximately 0.770 inches to over 1.000 inches in increments of 0.001 inch. Also the neck shape or “carve” or the shape and size of the back of the guitar neck can affect comfort and must be taken into consideration. Some necks are more rounded with a “U” or “C” shape and some have more of a “V” shape commonly known as a “Hard V” or “Soft V”. These various neck shapes and thicknesses were common and readily available in the 1950's to 1960's. Currently they are available only on “vintage” guitars costing thousands of dollars or by custom order.
Today stock guitar necks are generally thinner. For example, the neck shape most commonly used by most manufacturers is the modern slim “C” shape or flat oval with a neck thickness of approximately 0.8 inches and a 7.5 inch radius. For overall comfort and playability of a stringed instrument, the radius of the neck must also be considered. Taking into consideration all of the variables including neck thickness, neck shape and neck radius the task of choosing an instrument with maximum comfort can be a monumental task, as well as very costly. The thickness and radius of a neck cannot be changed without replacing the entire neck with one having different specifications.